Adjustable supporting mechanism



April 7, 1925.

P. PIERCE ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MECHANISM File d Nov. 11, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 PaIE/ P r3 Ey fly...

April 7, 1925.

- 1,532,201 P. PIERCE I ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 11. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H H 75 '/l///I II II 1 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAUL PIERCE, OIE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1'0 PIERCE WRAPPING MACHINE CO'., A CORPORATIGN Q1 ILLINQIS.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING lv'fEGI'IANISI/I.

Application filed November 11, 1922, Serial No. 660,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Adjustable Supporting Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable supporting mechanism for annular articles and particularly to a mechanism which is adapted to be used as a part of a machine which is employed for the purpose of applying. a protective wrapping to annular articles such as coils of wire, motor vehicle tires and the like.

The mechanism of this invention is particularly adapted to be applied to a wrapping machine of the type disclosed in U. S.

Letters Patent No. 1,399,989, granted to:

Frank M. Pierce on December 13th, 1921, and I have shown the same in the present application in conjunction with such a machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the class described whereby an accurate differential adjustment of the annular article relative to the shuttle may be quickly and conveniently made.

It is also an important object ofthis invention to provide a mechanism of the class described which is adapted to accommodate annuli of varying sectional diameters.

Other and further important. objects of the present invention will be apparent from the disrlosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated on the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrapping machine for annular articles equipped with the improved supporting mechanism of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, with parts in section, showing the supporting mechanism with a bundle of wire supported thereon;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the supporting mechanism removed from the wrap: ping machine.

Figured is an enlarged fragmentary sec-' tion on the line 14 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on th line 5-5 of Figure a, with parts in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

The wrapping machine construction to which the improvedsupporting mechanism of thisinvention is applied is described in detail in the patent above referred to and therefore need only be described in general terms herein.

The reference numeral 1 indicates a base having a frame member'2 extending upwardly from one end thereof and having spaced brackets 3 extending upwardly from the other end thereof, said frame member and brackets acting to support a shuttle structure 4 which is rotatably mounted on a frame 5 and which has suitable wrapping material applying means mounted thereon.

J ournalled in a bearing 6 on the base 1 and in a similar bearing 7 supported on an extension 8 of said base 1. isa drive shaft 9 to which power is transmitted from a suitable source, such as for example an electric motor having a driving pinion meshing with a gear 10 on said drive shaft. The

power drive to the drive shaft may be connected or disconnected tl'lrough a suitable clutch 11 which is operated by a lever 12, and power from said drive shaft is transmitted to the shuttle and wrapping material applying mechanism through a suitable belt 13.

Formed in each of the brackets 3 is an angle slot 14 which communicates with a, ertical slot 15 formed in said bracket near the upper end thereof.

The improved mechanism of this invention which is movably mounted in said angle groove 14 and vertical extension 15 thereof will now be described. Spaced frame plates 16 and 17 are provided, a reinforcing rod 18 being and 15 formed in the bricket 3,- While simi adjustable supporting lar rollers journalled on shorter shafts extending outwardly from said frame plates near the upper edge thereof, are adapted to be engaged in grooves formed in the inner faces of said brackets 3 in the manner shown and described in the above mentioned patent to F rank M. Pierce.

Also secured between the frame plates 16 and 17 intermediate the ends thereof is a shaft 21 which has a sprocket wheel 22 journalled on each end thereof. Said sprocket wheels 22 are adapted to have sprocket chains 23 engaged thereunder, one end of said sprocket chain 23 being secured to a bracket 3 as indi ated at 24 and the other end of each of said sprocket chains extending up ardly over an idler sprocket 25 journalled on a'stub shaft extending outwardly from the bracket 3 and thence to a drum 26 mounted on a shaft 27 which is journalled on the frame member 2 and which is adapted to be rotated by a worm and worm gear mechanism 28-29 which is operated by a handle 30. Thus, by rotation of the handle 30, it is possible to raise and lower the frame plates and mechanisms supported thereon relative to the brackets 3, the rollers 19 and 20 moving in the slots 14 and 15 and in the grooves provided in said bracket 3.

J ournalled between one end of the frame plates 16 and 17 at a point near the upper edge thereof, is a shaft31 which is driven from a sprocket 32 mounted on the end thereof outside the frame plate 17 in a manner to be described hereinafter. Secured to said shaft 31 intermediate the frame plates 16 and 17 is a drum or flanged pulley 33, the outer surface of which is cor rugated as indicated at 3 lto aid in imparting a rotational drive to a coil of wire or other annular article 35 supported thereon.

In order that annular articles of varying sectional diameters may be held firmly in association with the drum or pulley adjustable flange structures for said pulley are provided which will now be described. Said structures each comprises a hub 36 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 31 just inside the frame plates 16 and 17, and integral with each of said hubs 36 is an outwardly extending annular plate 37. Said plates 37 are provided with a plurality of apertures adapted to have pins 38 secured therein, said pins 33 extending inwardly in opposite directions into passages 39 formed in the web of the drum or pulley 33. The pins 38 are slidable in the passages 39 and in view of the fact that the same are secured to the plates 37 a drive is imparted from the pulleys 33 to said plates 37 and hubs 36 irrespective of the position of said hubs relative to the shaft 31.

Integral with and extending outwardly from the plates 37 are extensions'40 having inclined flan es supported the effected will now be described. l 'etallv mounted bQl *een the frame plates 16 and 17, on blocks 43 and er which are secured. to the frame 1 adjacent the inner sides of said frame plates near the lower edge thereof, are lovers eh? and 16 which are provided at their lower ends with integral inwardly extending arms a7 and 48 respectively. The inner ends of said arms 4:7 and d8 are joined together by a pivotal connection 49 of tie type shown in Figure 5, the pivot pin 50 extending from said pivotal connection outwardly through an angle slot 51 formed in a plate or bar 52, said bar also having slots and therein through which extend pivot pins 55 and 56, used to pivot the levers and 16 on the slots a3 and a l. Said slots 51, and 54 are of such width that the plate 52 is freely mov able relative to the pins 50, and 56, and J the plate is held from outward movement away from said pins by suitable washer and cotter keys engaging over the outer end of the pins in the manner shown in Figures f and Means are provided for moving the plate 52 longitudinally so that longitudinal movement imparted thereto will cause a movement of the pivot 49 due to the movement of the pin 50 in the angle slots 51, this movement of the pivot -19 causing a consequent movement of the upper end of the levers 4:5 and 46 toward or away from each other. The movement of said plate 52 is accomplished by means of a lever 5'? which is pivoted on the frame plate l6.at 58 and which has depending from the pivot point thereof an integral crank arm 59 which is pivotally connected at 60 to the end of said plate 52. The up per ends of the levers 45 and 4-6 have forks 61 formed thereon which engage around collars 62 rotatably mounted on the hub 36 and abutting shoulders formed on said hub. said collars 62 preferably being secured in position from longitudinal. movement rela tive to the hub by locking collar 63 pinned to the hub outside said rotatably mounted collars 62. Each arm of the forked portions on the levers and 4:6 is again bifurcated in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the forked portion 61, said bifurcated portion being engaged over oppositely positioned trunnions 64 extending outwardly from the collars 62.

Although considerable adjustment of the lllll Ill) cle- 35. This adjustment is obtained through a supporting roll or pulley 66 which has a concave article supporting surface and which is secured to a shaft 67 'journalled 1n bearings 68 and 69 supported on separated arms 70 and 71 extending upwardly from a sleeve 72 pivotally mounted between the frame plates 16 and 17 near the lower edge thereof and at the end opposite the drum 63. A sprocket 73 is secured to the outer end of said shaft 67 in alignment with the sprocket 32 and a drive is imparted to said sprockets and consequently to the supporting means for the annular article through a sprocket chain 6 1 which engages a sprocket 75 driven through suitable connections from the drive shaft 9. Said sprocket chain 74-. passes over a suitable idler sprocket 76 mounted on the base 1 and under an adjustable idler sprocket 77 journalled on a chain adjusting pivotally mounted weight 76.

A lever 79 which is pivotally mounted on the frame plate 16 at 80 and which is adapted to be held in adjusted position by the engagement of a usual spring-pressed pa'ul 81 thereon in a notched segment 82 secured to the frame plate 16, is provided for rotating the sleeve 72 and consequently differentially adjusting the supporting roll 66. A connection between said lever 79 and the sleeve 72 is afforded by an integral crank arm 83 extending inwardly from one end of said sleeve 72, the outer end of said crank arm being pivotally connected to a pair of parallel links 84 engaged on either side thereof and extending upwardly to either side of the lever 79 where they are connected to said lever intermediate the ends thereof by a pivotal connection 85.

It is apparent that by the provision of the connections just described, a downward movement of the lever 7 9 is adapted to effect an upward and inward movement of the supporting roller 66, thus accommodating the supporting mechanism to annular articles of smaller diameter while an upward movement of the lever 7 9 permits a downward and outward movement of said supporting roll 66 accommodating the support ing mechanism to annular articles of larger diameter.

The operation and action of the mechanism of this invention will be apparent from the foregoing description, the mechanism being particularly provided to adapt a wrapping machine of the class described for use in wrapping a large variety of annular articles of varying diameters and of varying sectional diameters. The adjustment'of the mechanism for articles of varying sectional diameters is of course effected by manipulation of the lever 57 which causes the hub 36 and consequently the flange members 42to be moved inwardly or outwardly to properly contact the sides of the annular article, while manipulation offthe lever 79 eifects a differential inward and upward or downward and outward movement of the supporting 'roll 66 to properly osition the annular article relative to the shuttle.

The supporting mechanism of this invention has been shown and described in connection with a particular wrapping machine, but it is apparent that the principles of adjustment and the mechanism for effecting such adjustment may be employed in a large variety of machines used for this purpose.

I am awarethat numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, rotatable supporting means, and means on said supporting means, simultaneously and positively movable to contact and centrally position supported articles of different sizes 2. In a mechanism of the class described, rotatable supporting means, flanges for said supporting means axially movable relative thereto, and means for moving said flanges equal amounts in opposite directions into a desired adjusted position.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, rotatable supporting means, flanges for said supporting means axially movable relative thereto, and means for simultaneously positively moving said flanges in opposite directions.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, rotatable supporting means, flanges for said supporting means axially movable relative thereto, and 'pivotally mounted means for positively moving both of said flanges into a desired adjusted position.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, rotatable supporting means, flanges axially adjustable relative to said supporting means, and a toggle mechanism for positively moving said flanges into desired adjusted central position.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, a plurality of rotatable supporting means for annular articles, certain of said supporting means being adjustable to centrally posin n la a t l s f difierent diameters and certain thereof being adjustable to properly position annular articles of difi erent sectional diameters.

7. In a mechanism of the class descr bed, a frame, rotatable supporting means tlz reon, means for adjusting said supporting means relative to the frame and secondary adjusting means for moving said supporting means simultaneously towards or away from each other.

-8.' In a machine of the class described, a Work support comprising a plurality of rotatable rollers adapted to support and turn the Work placed thereon, said rollers having longitudinally slidable collars mounted thereon, and means for positively and simultaneously moving said collars an equal amount in opposite directions respectively.

9. In a machine of the class described, a work'support comprising a plurality of rotatable rollers for supporting and turning the work, adjustable, longitudinally slidable collars on said rollers, and means for simultaneously moving said collars an equal amount in opposite directions respectively longitudinally or": said rollers and for holding the same in adjusted position.

10. In a machine of the class described, rotatable rollers for supporting the work to be Wrapped, longitudinally slidable collars 011 said rollers, cooperating bell cranks for adjustin said collars, said bell cranks being connected for simultaneous and equal movement in opposite directions and a lever for operating said bell cranks to move said collars toward and fr in each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

PAUL PIERCE. Vitnesses:

CARLTON HILL, OSCAR HARTMANN. 

